MLK day project

[thoreau]

every year on the mlk monday - I do an art project. Curiously enough - the projects I've done the last two years, ('06 and '07) have been particularly impacting on my life and are literally time capsules.

The 2006 project was a pair of opposing pieces based on this quote: "Language is a skin: I rub my language against the other. It is as if I had words instead of fingers, or fingers at the tip of my words."

It inspired mirror pieces using the theater mask metaphor - one covered in romantic poetry - painted in bright happy colours - entitled "the smile" - and the other - the unhappy piece - entitled "the frown" with the pages of poetry burned and scarred and the 'happy' colours splashed with gesso to obscure them. Curiously - I gave Rick the "happy" piece when we met that spring - and it remains with him. I have the 2nd piece - 'the frown' on the wall in my bedroom.

At the time I worked on the piece, it inspired some pretty intense responses from guys on LJ with the burnt piece being more about the words that survived - communicating almost a violence - an anger - that simply came out organically in the piece. Some guys responded with shock that I'd actually burn poetry - but it made such an amazing contrast to the beauty and romance of the mirror piece.

I was proud that the "frown" hung in the LJ art show "NET.WORKS" by mark_monroe that spring in Denver.



here is the 2006 piece, clicky for a larger version

The Frown (2nd of two pieces)

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The 2007 piece - was inspired by a poem whiskerfish inspired me to write during national poetry month. I wrote it about and for Rick.

"I bet you smell like cinnamon, and sometimes, like sweat.
Good and clean; that kind of honest.
A smile that doesn’t stop at your lips, but continues to your heart.
Secret, hidden wishes make you sweeter and stronger than even you know.
When the sun dives into the night, breaking purple’s strangle into a new morning,
it has but one purpose--
to shine on you.
To make your dark black hair shine, to coax the tiger-like sparkles from your eyes."

My original idea was to run tubing from a manican hand signing "I love you" to pump "blood" through the hearts in the piece. but - what came together was just as interesting. I gave it to Rick upon his return from Palm Springs on MLK day last year.

Here is the 2007 piece, clicky for a larger version:

I bet you smell like cinnamon...

So I'm starting to brainstorm about my 2008 piece. Which I will probably also submit to Mark's 2008 show in Denver. I have several ideas. Not sure which direction I will go.

I thought - I might encourage others - that are so inclined - to spend next Monday being creative. Whether that creates a short story, a photo montage, a new MLK day podcast - whatever it is. Part of what I've always taken away from the MLK story (and it's not necessarily "my" story - but nonetheless) is that dreaming is something nobody can take away from you. and sometimes - dreaming inspires amazing things.

Comments

[mark-monroe.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping we get some more artists on board for this years show - looking forward to doing it all again!

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

You go, Robert ! I love your collages.

[bukephalus.livejournal.com]

Thanks for letting us see these past pieces. And for letting me know about the Denver show. I was completely unaware of it.

I look forward to this year's creation.

[stivalineri.livejournal.com]

The curator did you a disservice by putting your work in the corner, that's a silly thing to do with smaller works, he would have done better by figuring out an Academy style grouping than extending the picture line right into the corner.